If you're struggling to achieve work-life balance, you're not alone. Understand how to better manage your time, detach from work and care for yourself.
Once upon a time the boundaries between work and home were fairly clear. I oftentimes reflect with professionals many times my senior about how it must've been nice when computers stayed at work instead of coming home with you or when there was a difference between your personal number and you work number. The most common answer? "Yeah, things are always changing, but I did feel more balance then."
Today, work is likely to invade your personal life — and maintaining work-life balance is no simple task. Technology that enables constant connection can allow work to bleed into your time at home. With the increase of remote workers due to the Covid pandemic, working from home has blurred professional and personal boundaries more than ever before.
Still, work-life balance, or as I like to call it work-life integration, is possible. Consider whether your relationship to work is healthy and if necessary identify boundaries to strike a healthier balance.
Married to your work? Consider the cost.
If you're spending most of your time working, your work and your home life might be negatively affected. Consider the consequences of poor work-life balance:
Fatigue. When you're tired, your ability to work productively, stay engaged and think clearly might suffer — which could take a toll on your professional reputation or lead to dangerous or costly mistakes.
Poor health. Stress can worsen symptoms related to many medical conditions.
Loss of quality time. If you're working too much, you might miss important family events or milestones or you may be sacrificing healthy personal time with your loved ones. This can leave you feeling left out, impact your mental health and might harm your relationships.
Strike a better work-life balance
As long as you're working, juggling the demands of career and personal life will probably be an ongoing challenge. But by setting limits and looking after yourself, you can achieve the work-life balance that's best for you. The key is that this must be a commitment you are willing to make and stick to.
If you don't set limits, work can leave you with no time for the relationships and activities you enjoy. Consider these strategies:
Manage your time. Give yourself enough time to get things done and don't overschedule yourself. A great an example of this is building time into your calendar at the beginning and end of your workday to answer emails and follow up on correspondence. By building this intentionally into your schedule you prevent your time from being pirated by others and allow yourself ample opportunity to start and end your day based on the priorities you are currently facing.
Learn to say "No." Evaluate your priorities at work and at home and try to shorten your to-do list. If possible cut or delegate activities you don't enjoy or can't handle — or share your concerns and possible solutions with your employer or others. It's key that you share your intentional commitment to well-being with your own leader at work so they understand your actions. Transparency is key. Similarly, don't be afraid to push back on scheduled meetings that cut into your personal time. Meetings at 7 AM or 7PM when you don't traditionally work during those hours are dreadful and you're not the only who believes that. Have confidence to push back when appropriate and you'll have more time for activities that are meaningful to you, allowing you to recharge appropriately.
Detach from work. Working from home or frequently using technology to connect to work when you're at home can cause you to feel like you're always on the job. This can lead to chronic stress. Seek guidance from your manager about expectations for when you can disconnect. If you work from home, dress for work and have a quiet dedicated workspace, if possible. When you're done working each day, detach and transition to home life by changing your outfit, taking a drive or walk, or doing an activity with your kids. It's okay to let others know that you have dedicated time that you protect. For me, I protect the hours after 6:00 PM every weekday because that is my time with my family. Let me repeat that for you: It is okay to protect your time with my family each evening. We spend more time at work during the week than we get with our family, prioritize your loved ones when you can and don't sacrifice the little time you do have with them!
Consider your options. Ask your employer about flex hours, a compressed workweek, job sharing or other scheduling flexibility. The more control you have over your hours, the less stressed you're likely to be. It's okay to ask and you should have the confidence to be transparent about your priorities and how to attain improved work/life integration.
Caring for yourself
A healthy lifestyle is essential to coping with stress and to achieving work-life balance. We all know that it's much easier to say this than to actually execute sustained success in this area. Nevertheless, strive to eat well, include physical activity in your daily routine and get enough sleep. In addition, aim to:
Relax. Regularly set aside time for activities that you enjoy, such as practicing yoga, gardening or reading. Hobbies can help you relax, take your mind off of work and recharge. Better yet, discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends — such as hiking, dancing or taking cooking classes.
Volunteer. Research shows that volunteering to help others can improve your connections with others, as well as lead to better life satisfaction and lower psychological distress.
Develop a support system. At work, join forces with co-workers who can cover for you — and vice versa — when family conflicts arise. At home, enlist trusted friends and loved ones to pitch in with child care or household responsibilities when you need to work late.
Know when to seek professional help
If your life feels too chaotic to manage and you're spinning your wheels worrying about it, talk to a mental health provider. If you have access to an employee assistance program, take advantage of available services.
Creating work-life balance is a continuous process as your family, interests and work life change. Periodically examine your priorities — and make changes, if necessary — to make sure you're keeping on track not allowing your work and career to overshadow other priorities in your life.
